The Top Ten Bizarre, Radical & Cool Nintendo Wii Case Mods

The new black Wii, accompanied by the new game Monster Hunter Tri, hits Japanese store shelves August 8... yes, Japanese stores. Only. What's a Wii-lover to do? Three years of appliance-white Wii consoles have sold buckets but case modders are only human... well, mostly. Here's a taste of the magic they've worked on their Wiis while waiting for an OEM cosmetic change that never seems to come.

10) The Incredible Hulk Wii

Those busybodies at Instructables aren't content with just making their own Wiis awesome, they want YOU to follow their lead. And so you can, thanks to an illustrated 5-step How To that ends with the model being put up for auction at eBay. Cool touch? Ten percent of the auction proceeds are earmarked for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. (Nintendo Wii image via Infendo and Instructables)

9) The Wii64... Wait, What?

Here's another made-for-eBay special, though the $157.50 final bid price isn't anything to shout about. Supposedly "This is a Nintendo 64 in a Wii case, very different, but it was done, and it all works! It is a Wii case that has been modified to fit a n64 inside, and function perfectly well!" Functions as a Wii or an N64 isn't made clear though it seems that only the Wii's cool blue lighting is working. Looks like a marriage made in Hell, er, some dude's basement. (Nintendo Wii image via Hackawii)

8) Super Mario Galaxy Wii

What do you do if you're a Super Mario fanboy, you've got about 100 hours of free time and you think the standard Wii looks just a tad blah? Well, you either say "nahhh" and crack open another one or you get off your duff and build the most badass Super Mario Galaxy Wii EVAR! The latter is what "Ramon" did, and not by impulse either: he's a serial Wii modder. Unlike the previous Wii64 monstrosity, Ramon's work of gaming art works as a Wii and looks damned fine while doing it. (Nintendo Wii image via Geekologie)

Want to see the Super Mario Galaxy Wii in all it's flashing glory? Sure you do...

7) The Metroid Wii Mod

I said Ramon was no one trick pony and the astonishing Metroid Wii above proves it. All tricked out in classic Metroid visual cues, this wondrous Wii, like Ramon's other Wii-creations, was built to be sold on eBay. Nice guy that Ramon is, he donates 15% of the final sale price to the Penny Arcade Child's Play charity. Wii approve! (Nintendo Wii image via NewLaunches and Joystiq)

6) The Wii PC

Hi, I'm a PC. Hi, I'm a Wii... actually I'm both! That was Mr. H's hybrid Wii-make that turned a perfectly nice Wii console case into a low-spec PC running Windows XP. Small as the standard Wii case is, Mr. H could only squeeze in a 40-gig HD but the result still impresses by featuring DVI video and providing USB ports. It also displays the Wii startup screen, which is kinda cool in and of itself. (Nintendo Wii image via Technabob)

5) The Star Wars Wii

If the Wii-mote can be used as a light saber, then the Wii console case can be modded up in Star Wars regalia. Of course, the Wii plays all kinds of games and not only ones with Star Wars themes but obses - er, dedicated - Star Wars fans have their priorities. If you fit that mold, then this IS the case mod you're looking for. (Nintendo Wii image via Engadget)

4) The Darth Vader Wii

The upcoming all-black Wii console might rule the store shelves some day but long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, someone put a coal-black Darth Vader Wii up for auction - reserve set at a cool 15 grand. Supposedly the console is one of 4 produced to help promote the release of The Force Unleashed, a LucasArts Star Wars game. Though the Vader graphics and ominous red lighting are undeniably badass, so is $15,000 in cold cash - even if it's Ben on the bills, not Darth. (Nintendo Wii image via Technabob)

3) The Chrome Wii

Any color you like, as long as its pink, red, yellow, apple green, blue, black! That's what you get from XCM Live, who've been offering these colorful Wii replacement shells for a while now. As nice as the color shells are, XCM's chrome case blows 'em all away. So what if it looks like a toaster from the future? Are you telling me you don't WANT a toaster from the future?? (Nintendo Wii image via Technabob and XCM Live)

2) The Crystal Chameleon Hard Rock Wii

Chrome too flashy for ya? Concerned about heat build-up? Both? The Crystal Chameleon Hard Rock Wii is here to save the day. Onboard LEDs cycle through 7 different colors that graphically show how hot your Wii's guts are getting. The see-through shell lets the colors shine while illuminating your room in an ethereal glow. Mom will freak out - and who doesn't want that? (Nintendo Wii image via Gearfuse and Slashgear)

1) Pimp My Wii

Since it's so hard to pin down one Simply The Best case mod for the Wii, I'm relying on the power of many mods all found at a single site: DecalGirl. Literally hundreds of "Wii Skins" are available - your toughest decision is choosing just one. From "Abduction" to "Zen Revisited", these have to be the coolest decals since that long ago day when you finally finished that P-51 model. (Nintendo Wii image via Decal Girl)

Oh, kids... don't try any of the more invasive mods at home unless you're cool with voiding your warranty, which is what happens if you crack open the Wii's case. Cosmetic mods to the exterior should be OK with Nintendo though.

Dude, you really ought to get out more. The Zelda Wii dates from early '07 and the other 2 Ramon mods in the article are cooler anyway. Oh ya, someone who can't even spell "sword" better not be pointing the FAIL finger, unless it's in the mirror. Sheesh...